Pages

Sunday, November 30, 2014

It is that time of year when my music preference switches to Christmas carols. Silent Night, Holy Night is my favorite carol especially when sung in German. This calming and peaceful song ushers in the true meaning of Christmas..

Friday, November 28, 2014

Don't click away . . . these are a lot easier than you think. For flashback Friday I'm re-posting this recipe (originally posted in November 2009), a favorite from my sister, Monika. These delicious little cheesecakes with a "baked in" cream cheese filling and decorated simply with some cherry pie filling create a melt in your mouth goodness - deserving a second look and try - not just for Christmas but for an anytime great way to add to a buffet.Ingredients:
Filling:

1 - 8 oz pkg cream cheese

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

pinch salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional

Cupcakes: (to make 48 mini muffins or 24 - 36 medium)

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/3 cup baking cocoa, sifted

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp soda

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 Tbsp vinegar

1/2 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla

topping:

1 can cherry pie filling

Method:

In small bowl, blend filling ingredients until smooth, with mixer. Set aside.

In medium bowl, combine dry ingredients.

In large mixing bowl, beat egg, water, vinegar, oil and vanilla.

Stir in dry ingredients, until smooth. Will be a tad runny.

Fill well greased mini muffin tins 3/4 to almost full (1/2 full if using medium size) .

Drop a 3/4 tsp of cheese filling in center of each mini cupcake. If using medium size cupcakes you can add a small tsp of cherry filling or some chocolate chips beside the cream cheese.

Thursday, November 27, 2014

At Christmas we always make Meat Buns, but this year in addition I added Bierocks, or Runzas, another version of Fleisch Perishky. I used the dough recipe from Judy's meat buns and shaped the buns in a different way so I would know which buns were regular meat buns or which were Bierocks when I pulled them from the freezer. The filling is very simple made with beef, cabbage, cheese, onions and mustard that binds it all together.

Filling:

2 lbs ground beef

1 large onion, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 medium head cabbage, finely shredded

2 cups (or more) of shredded old cheddar cheese

1/4 cup dijon mustard

Brown the ground beef with the onion. Season to taste.

Drain all the fat.

Return the meat to the frying pan and add the cabbage. Cook another 15-20 minutes until cabbage is soft.

Remove from heat, add cheese and mustard, mix well and cool.

Divide the dough into 4 parts, rolling each part into a circle and cut each circle in 8 parts for larger buns, or 5-6 parts cut into 8 pieces for smaller buns.

Place a spoonful at the end and roll up like the picture or just make a small bun, flatten and fill.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

I love these rolls. They are easy to make and can be served as an appetizer or as a side to a good bowl of asian soup.
The quantity depends totally on how many you want to make, just adjust the amounts of filling accordingly. I will give you the ingredient list I used. I made the entire package of rice rolls for a larger gathering but you certainly can make it in smaller amounts as well.

You need:

1 package of rice roll wraps found on the shelf in the asian section of your grocery store. They come in two sizes, but I prefer the large ones, it is easier to work with

bowl of water for dipping the rice wraps

Filling options:

shredded chicken or cooked shrimp (optional)

cucumbers, julienned

carrots, julienned

red peppers, julienned

Rice Vermicelli, cooked

green onion, cut diagonally in 1/4"-1/2" slices

bean sprouts

cilantro leaves or parsley

Dip the dry rice wraps into water for a few seconds to soften

Lay on a large plate.

Fill with small amounts of filling.

4. Tuck in two sides and roll the opposite sides together.

5. Try to roll them tighter than in this picture. It holds together better.

Serve as appetizer in ramekins. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and roasted pumpkin seeds. Yields 20 - 24 1/2 cup servings. Can be made a couple of days ahead. Makes a nice lunch served with scones.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

I've been re-reading Sarah Young's Jesus Calling this year and continually

been reminded how important thanksgiving is in our daily life.

We celebrate Thanksgiving with good food and give thanks for the many blessings,

but how much do we give thanks in our daily lives?

In this little book I've been reminded that when we thank God for good things,

we affirm that He is God, the giver.

Many times, however, the path ahead is unknown or threatening

and we are still asked to give thanks.

When we give thanks to God in adversity, we affirm our trust in Him

and these circumstances become opportunities for growth.

The more extreme our hardship, the more opportunity to see God's power.

I have known this and experienced this, but had to be reminded again.

In fact, I found a certain hardship almost impossible to pray for

because I was way more angry than thankful until

God reminded me that He can make a heart willing to will and to do for His pleasure.

And I asked for that because that promise gave me hope.

Are you finding your situation or the path ahead too threatening?
Know that God will be there each step of the way.
We will know His presence as we read His word
wherein we receive guidance, comfort, strength and the promise
that He is able to do more than we can even ask or imagine.
As we thank Him for these things, our faith is renewed.

Saturday, November 22, 2014

There's nothing sweet about opening the container of brown sugar and finding a rock-hard mass that requires a pick to break it apart. Some years ago, I was told to put a slice of apple in the container of brown sugar to keep it soft. That works...but after awhile the brown sugar tastes a little like apples. Earlier this year, while snooping around in a kitchen shop in Barkerville, B.C. I found a little 'brown sugar disc'...guaranteed to keep sugar soft!

I have been testing it for some time now...and it does the job well! No more hard lumps of sugar on our porridge. Simply soak the clay disc for 15 minutes and pat dry. Add to the brown sugar, which is best stored in a sealed container. Mine can be found in a yellow Tupperware container from ages past! Enjoy soft, lump-free brown sugar for months!

Something else that I quite like are the silicone lids that I picked up at the 'street fair' in Palm Springs last year. Since then I have seen them at kitchen shops in various shapes and sizes....and also found some that are stretchy and made to fit over everything from a juice glass to a half a watermelon.

Also called 'splatter guards'...they are perfect for topping your bowl before it goes in the microwave. No more covering of dishes with plastic wrap and burning one's fingers when trying to remove it. They seal on all smooth rims and create airtight seals for reheating and storing in the fridge. My set has five sizes...which nest for easy storage. I recommend them!

If you have a favorite kitchen gadget that you would like to tell us about...or a kitchen tip or trick to share...today is a good day for that. Leave us a comment with your tip. If you do...you will have entered your name in the draw for a brown sugar disc. I will publish the winner's name right here
at the end of this post on Monday, November 24th.

* * * * *

Thanks to all of you who shared your favorite gadgets and kitchen tips. There are several that I plan to check out soon! And the winner is....Elsemieke Wishart. Please leave your contact info in the comment section, and I will get your brown sugar disc out to you shortly!

Friday, November 21, 2014

Flashback Friday brings us back to April 7, 2010 when I posted Tanta Suzie's bean recipe.

This past summer we had the joy of bringing back an old family tradition and with the help of many cousins we recreated a contemporary version of the 'Schmidt Reunion.'

The original bean pot was found and we resurrected Tanta Suzie's bean recipe once again.

Here's a little story about this bean pot, which I remember as a small little girl. Every summer the annual Schmidt gathering would meet at Berthusen Park, just across the line, close to Lynden, WA. I looked forward to this annual reunion and it became one of my summer highlights. I always remembered this bean pot with it's rich smoked flavors. I was excited when my mother gave me a replica of this pot as a gift in my early years.
"The trick was," Tante Suzie said, "they need to be baked in a bean pot." She has since passed on to eternity, but the memory has never faded. It was such a privilege to relive the family reunion and listen to the stories from long ago and appreciate the heritage that they have shared with many generations. After several phone calls you now have the corrected version of the original bean recipe. I always double this recipe.

Bean Recipe

1 pound navy beans (2 cups)

4 cups water

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. soda

Soak beans over night. Drain and rinse thoroughly.

Add fresh water and 1 tsp. soda and simmer for an hour. Drain and rinse thoroughly

Long and slow baking is the secret to good baked beans.
It might look like extra work, but the taste is worth it.

The legacy lives on...

But wait...Tanta Suzie's son, Ron also has created his own version. I love it just as much and when he gave me his recipe, it was a bit of this and a carton of this and a pinch of this with no exact amounts.
This is my version of Ron's recipe.

Ron's Recipe

4 cups navy beans

1 cup 'fancy' molasses

1 tbsp. black strap molasses

3 tbsp dried mustard

1 medium sized shallot (onion)

1 cup packed brown sugar

6 cups tomato juice

1 lean pork hock

Prepare beans using the same method above.

Remove all meat off the pork hock dicing it finely. It's important to remove all the gristle from the meat. This takes some time, but
it creates that smokey flavor.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Christmas is coming, when all candy is calorie free because we are celebrating and what is Christmas without candy? My daughter asked me to come up with a chocolate nugget recipe and this one is easy to make and is really good.
These would make a sweet little addition to a gift basket or packaged as a hostess gift or just a treat
to serve to your own family or guests.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Fruitcake is our favorite small bite treat with a cup of coffee during the Christmas season. Be sure that you use ingredients that are fresh. Nuts and dried fruits that are even a bit stale will taint the fruitcake and will ruin all the work. Fruitcake lovers will all enjoy this delicious Christmas treat.
Fruitcake improves in flavour and texture over time, so make it now to enjoy at Christmas.

1 cup slivered blanched almonds

1 cup whole blanched almonds

1/2 cup whole walnut halves

1 1/2 cups seedless raisins

1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

1 cup / 225 grams glace cut mixed peel

1 cup / 225 grams glace fruit cake mix

2 cups 500 grams glace whole cherries

1 cup finely chopped dates

1/2 cup apricot brandy

Stir together all the fruit and nuts in a large glass bowl. Stir in brandy and cover with lid or tightly with plastic wrap. Stir occasionally and leave at room temperature until the next day.

Caramelized Pineapple

1 14 ounce / 398 ml can crushed pineapple with the juice

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup apricot jam

1/4 cup apricot brandy

Combine pineapple, juice and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching and simmer to reduce liquids, 30 - 40 minutes. Once the liquid has mostly evaporated and the pineapple has started to caramelize, remove from heat, add jam and brandy. Refrigerate overnight in sealed container.

Fruitcake Batter

2 1/3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup room temperature unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

7 eggs (should measure 1 1/2 cups)

Prepare 2 - 3 loaf pans by cutting brown paper bags to fit first lengthwise and then across the width, allowing the paper to come just over the edge of the pan. Grease paper well. Alternately, for gift giving, use disposable paper bakeware.

Preheat oven to 275 F.

Stir together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix 1 cup of the flour mixture with the fruit and nuts and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter, then gradually add sugar and eggs with mixer. Add remaining flour mixture and beat to combine.

Use a large wooden spoon to stir in fruit and nut mixture along with the pineapple mixture. Stir well to combine.

Divide into loaf pans and bake. Baking times will vary depending on size of the pan. You can bake the fruitcake in small individual loaves or square pans. Whatever you decide to use, check every 30 minutes to start if you use small pans. The loaves will feel firm in the center when done. Test with a toothpick once you think the top feels firm. Regular bread pan loaf pans will be up to 3 1/2 hours. Check several times to make sure the top of the cakes are not getting too brown. If that happens, cover loosely with foil. The bakeware shown in the photo held 3 cups of batter, measured 1 1/4 inch X 6 inch diameter and took just over an hour to bake.

Remove from oven, remove from pan, allow to cool for half an hour and then carefully remove brown paper. Brush with additional apricot brandy before storing. Leave cakes in the disposable bakeware pans for easy gift giving. Seal well in plastic bags and store in the refrigerator for several months or freeze.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Here's another hot dip to add to your collection as the holidays approach.

You'll enjoy the extra layer of flavour that caramelizing the leeks adds.

1 medium sized leek, white and light green part only

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small clove garlic, minced

4 slices bacon

1/2 of a 250 gram package Cream cheese

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

3 ounces Gruyere cheese, divided (about 3/4 cup grated)

2 tablespoons chopped chives, divided

Slice leek lengthwise while holding it together.Turn and slice again. Cut leek crosswise so you have small squares of leek - about 2 cups.

Over medium heat, melt butter, add oil and leeks and cook slowly for about 15 minutes or longer. Add the minced garlic during the last 5 minutes of cooking. The leeks should be golden in colour and caramelized. Remove from pan and set aside..

Chop bacon into small strips and fry until crisp. Drain on paper towel.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Cookies are one of my favorite baked treats. These raisin and nut filled cookies are perfect to add to your cookie tray for serving guests or for gifting at Christmas. They are good plain or you can dust them with icing sugar.

Filling:

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup boiling water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

In a small saucepan, combine raisins, sugar, and flour. Add boiling water, stirring constantly until thickened.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

This week I've been reviewing an older book entitled, My Heart, Christ's Home, by Robert Munger

It's an illustrated story about Jesus walking individually with us through our home. (heart) He journeys through each room, of your house giving recommendations as how you could make some subtle changes. When I read the section about the Hall Closet, something grabbed my attention.

This last month I was a guest in a home and I remember how she used to always
have her pantry neat and tidy. I asked if I could have a quick peak....and she opened the doors. These photos give you an idea of how neat and orderly her pantry is kept. She then delighted to tell me how she has used her mother's doilies as pantry liners. She prefers to do a quick inventory monthly
which helps her avoid stress over messy closets. I'm not so sure that I would be ready to invite my guests to see my closets and pantries. I know that I like to go through my closets thoroughly about once a year, while taking out the rubbish, washing them down and cleaning them up.

But in this story Jesus pointed out that he knew there was something rotting in the closet. It was time that these things had to be cleaned out. I think I would of been rather embarrassed at this point and yet Jesus kindly helped this person recognize that he would give the strength and support needed to help clean out the putrid smell. Jesus said, "Please give me the key." Reluctantly, the key was passed to Jesus and He removed the putrefying stuff and threw it away. Then He cleansed the closet, painted it, fixed it all up in a moment's time. Immediately a fresh fragrant breeze swept through the entire house. The whole atmosphere changed. No matter what sin big or small or what pain there might be in our past, Jesus is ready to forgive, to heal and to make whole when we give him the key.

I can often identify with this heart cleansing system. It feels like you just finished dealing with one issue and then another room is dusty all over again. So the key is to ask God to manage our house by making God the owner and master of the house while we become the servants.

I think the reality of this illustration is that we become like a working pantry, always needing to be aware of God clearing our minds of unworthy thoughts, keeping our minds busy with learning worthwhile thoughts. By coming before God daily, we can be inspired by good and uplifting thoughts. When we find ourselves with that putrid smell, we know that the act of repentance is just like soap; it can wash away our sin and sometimes we need the strong detergent of discipline to get the stains out of the 'ground-in dirt' but they will come out.

I love the words in the Living Bible, "And I pray that Christ will be
more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in
him. May your roots go down deep in the soil of God's marvelous love."
Ephesians 3:17

May you be encouraged this week as you clean your closets that you can never be lost to God's love.

Saturday, November 15, 2014

While visiting Pike Street Market in Seattle I spotted an interesting mix of meat and cheeses at one of the deli counters. We bought a small bag to snack on and it was so tasty. To serve, place the mix in a large bowl with small tongs or spoon. Along side fill mini bowls with small crackers and pretzels and everyone can add some Trail Mix to their bowls. Paper cupcake liners would make perfect individual serving cups. This mix would make a great game night savoury snack....the guys especially love it.

(Amounts will depend on how many you are serving.)

one or two kinds of your favourite pepperoni sticks, cut into 1/2"pieces

beef jerky, cut into small chunks

2 hard cheeses, cut into small cubes, I used cheddar and a pepper jack

Cut up meats and cheeses. Place in bowl and mix.

Store in a paper lunch bag in the refrigerator. This will keep it from sweating and sticking together. It will last in a paper bag for at least 4-5 days. If you store it in a plastic bag or sealed container it will only last 2-3 days as it will not remain as dry.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

This cottage cheese pastry is one I have used in the past for sweet rolls...specifically Orange Glazed Cheese Pastries. But I discovered it is also a great pastry for savory appetizers. Wee sausage rolls make a yummy appetizer served with a mustard dipping sauce, pickles and cheese.

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, cold

1 cup creamed cottage cheese

1 package (500 grams / 1 pound) cocktail sausages

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl.

Using a large-holed grater, grate the butter and stir into flour mixture.

Add creamed cottage cheese (I like to process the cottage cheese slightly in the blender to get rid of lumps first).

Mix until smooth.

Wrap in plastic and chill for several hours.

Divide the dough into 6 equal parts and shape into disks.

On a lightly floured surface, roll
each disk into a fairly thin circle, about 1/8-inch thick.

Cut each
circle into 8 wedges, pizza style. Using a pizza wheel works great
for this.

Place one wee cocktail sausage on the wide edge of each wedge, and roll up pastry around the sausage.

Place the pointy side down on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or well greased.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

I have used the same gf pie pastry recipe for years and it is good but since I have been reworking my recipes to use my Julie's Flour Blend I came up with this pastry recipe. The dough handles very well and the pastry is light, flaky with good flavour.
My photos show a cherry pie and I also used the same pastry for Judy's quiche-tarts ... very good !

Monday, November 10, 2014

Is salad season over? It's never over in our house. I tasted this incredible salad at my sister in law's as I helped her prepare for her son's rehearsal dinner. As I assembled it, I realized that this had the Asian flavors my family would love. I served it on Thanksgiving day and it was finished off right to the last drop. This is one of those recipes that can be prepared ahead of time.

Ingredients:

3 heads of romaine lettuce hearts

1 pgk Mr. Noodle (chicken flavor)

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/3 cup slivered almonds

fresh herbs (dill, mint, basil)

Method:

Cut romaine heads in half vertically and slice horizontally through the lettuce head.